System and methods for thermoforming articles

Abstract

Systems and processes for thermoforming an article and for preparing an article for thermoforming are disclosed. The system for thermoforming can include one or more heating stations and a cooling station. The system for thermoforming can further include an article movement mechanism that can couple to an article and rotate the article inside a heating chamber, inside a cooling chamber, or both. The system for preparing an article for thermoforming can include a vessel that comprises a port, and a negative pressure generation system coupled to the port. The system for preparing an article for thermoforming can further include a compression material that forms an interior portion for receiving an article. The negative pressure generation system can cause the compression material to expand to allow for insertion of the article into the interior portion of the compression material.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for preparing an article for thermoforming, the method comprising:
 inserting a compression material into a vessel, the compression material present in a first position in the vessel, wherein at least a portion of the compression material forms an interior portion adapted to receive an article; 
 exposing an area between an outer surface of the compression material and an inner surface of the vessel to a pressure less than atmospheric pressure to shift the compression material from the first position to an expanded position, wherein in the expanded position, at least a portion of the compression material is closer to the inner surface of the vessel than compared to the first position; 
 inserting at least a portion of the article into the interior portion of the compression material while the compression material is in the expanded position, wherein the article is present on a forming material, wherein the article comprises an upper for an article of footwear, wherein the upper comprises a bootie and at least one of a chassis or a heel counter positioned inside of the bootie, and wherein a compression bootie is positioned over the upper; and 
 exposing the area between the outer surface of the compression material and the inner surface of the vessel to a pressure at about atmospheric pressure so that the compression material shifts from the expanded position to a second position, wherein in the second position, the at least a portion of the article is in the interior portion of the compression material and the at least a portion of the compression material is closer to the article than when the article was inserted into the compression material in the expanded position. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the forming material comprises a last. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the compression material in the first position is complementary in shape to at least a portion of a shape of the last. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the bootie comprises a ground-facing portion. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper further comprises a film adjacent to the bootie. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the compression bootie comprises an elastomeric material, wherein the elastomeric material has a melting temperature above 110° C. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the compression material has melting temperature, degradation temperature, or both, above 110° C. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising, subsequent to the exposing the area between the outer surface of the compression material and the inner surface of the vessel to a pressure at about atmospheric pressure, exposing an area between an outer surface of the article and the inner surface of the compression material to a pressure below atmospheric pressure so that the compression material applies a compressive force to the outer surface of the article thereby forming a compressed article. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising exposing the compressed article to a temperature of from about 70° C. to about 250° C. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising, subsequent to the exposing the compressed article to a temperature of from about 70° C. to about 250° C., exposing the compressed article to a temperature of about 25° C. or less. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the exposing the compressed article to a temperature of about 25° C. or less comprises submerging at least a portion of the compressed article into a liquid having a temperature of about 25° C. or less.